Shares of Monster Beverage Corp. soared as concerns eased about increased regulation for the energy drink maker following a letter, made public Tuesday, from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The letter, sent earlier this month, said that the FDA was studying energy drinks to see if they posed a risk when consumed by "vulnerable groups" such as young people, or in excess.

We appear to be eating much more food, far more frequently, and mostly alone, than at any previous point in American history. The physical act of eating together, or commensality, can serve to regulate food portioning and food consumption. Besides the calorie control factor, commensality also promotes other healthy practices.

Gov. Martin O'Malley announced Tuesday that Protenergy Natural Foods plans to add up to 100 new full-time jobs by April 2013 and hire another 27 employees over the next five years as it increases production capacity to meet growing demands for its soups, broths and sauces.

A new study released Tuesday from the University of Southern California and Oxford suggests that diabetes occurs more frequently in countries with large amounts of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) in their food supplies. According to the study, type 2 diabetes occurred 20 percent more often in nations which commonly use HFCS in food.

A federal judge has recused himself from presiding over a $1.2 billion defamation lawsuit against ABC because his daughter-in-law works as a producer on one of the network's morning shows. Judge Lawrence L. Piersol recused himself from hearing the defamation lawsuit because his daughter-in-law works as a producer on "Good Morning America."

Fitch Ratings downgraded its ratings on ConAgra Foods and two other rating agencies are reviewing their assessment of ConAgra and Ralcorp, following the food company's announcement Tuesday that it plans to buy private-label food producer Ralcorp for $5 billion.

A 47-year-old business owner from northern Georgia was sentenced to 12 months and one day in federal prison for defrauding the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports Mushtaq "Mike" Mistry, of Lawrenceville, submitted about $300,000 worth of false claims to the USDA.

Cake pops are one of the most popular forms of dessert at parties and gatherings this season. Angie "Bakerella" Dudley created this exclusive recipe — Bakerella's Snowman Cake Pops — in partnership with Betty Crocker for the 2012 Red Hot Holiday Trends.

The University of Tennessee and the state Department of Health are partnering to develop training to improve responses to food-borne illnesses and outbreaks in Tennessee and across the country. The Food Safety Modernization Act directed the CDC to create five Integrated Food Safety Centers of Excellence at state health departments across the country.

A Purdue University agricultural economist says America's role as the world's corn export king is on the decline. Purdue's Philip Abbott says that prior to a 2007-08 spike in commodity prices, the U.S. exported well over half of the corn that entered international markets.

Top lobster scientists are meeting to look at fundamental changes that have affected lobsters in recent years after a summer that featured a potentially record-breaking haul in Maine and Canada and a crash in wholesale prices. The Maine Sea Grant program at the University of Maine is hosting the conference in Portland beginning Tuesday.

Consumer Reports says it has found high rates of bacteria in its testing and analysis of pork chop and ground-pork samples from six U.S. cities. Especially high rates of yersinia, a bacterium that can cause food poisoning, were found, with the bacterium being detected in 69 percent of the 198 pork samples tested.

The maker of a popular brand of food for observant Muslims says in court documents that it is facing a potentially crippling investigation into whether it falsely labeled meat products as being processed in compliance with Islamic law. Midamar Corp. says that investigators seized its bank account and records under search warrants executed at the Cedar Rapids firm last month.

Whether it's baking cookies for a neighborhood cookie share or a sweet treat to enjoy after wrapping gifts, the McCormick Kitchens are helping home bakers get "Cookie Inspired" by infusing seasonal signature favorites with inspirational new twists.

New Zealand is supporting Australia's attempt in an international court to stop Japan from whaling in the Southern Ocean. New Zealand wants to intervene in a lawsuit Australia brought against Japan two years ago in the International Court of Justice.

McDonald's Corp. was downgraded Monday by a Lazard Capital Markets analyst, who said that tough competition may hinder sales growth. Analyst Matthew DiFrisco, cutting McDonald's to "Neutral" from "Buy," said he expects that a key sales figure will shrink 1.8 percent in the last three months of 2012, with a slow start in 2013.

A taste for apples, a September 1978 issue of Popular Mechanics and a bumper crop of fruit combined to create what has become a tradition for two Brookings, S.D., families and their friends. Gregg Carlson, a professor in plant science at South Dakota State University, and his neighbor David Francis bought acreages next to one another northeast of Brookings more than 20 years ago.

U.S.-based ConAgra Foods has agreed to buy private-label food producer Ralcorp for about $5 billion, which will make it North America's biggest manufacturer of cereals, crackers and other packaged foods sold under store labels. ConAgra Foods Inc. said the acquisition will strengthen its overall position in the North American packaged food business.

The Food and Drug Administration is cracking down on a New Mexico peanut butter plant that had repeated food safety violations over several years, using new authority to halt operations at facilities that may be producing unsafe food. The agency on Monday suspended the registration of Sunland Inc., which is the country's largest organic peanut butter processor.